Nonverbal
by Zellarest
Summary: When Rose is trying and failing to perform the easiest of nonverbal incantations, Scorpius comes along to help. All you need to perform a nonverbal spell is trust and a lot of luck. Well, at least when Scorpius Malfoy is involved. / RoseScorpius.


Written for Modwarts at HPFC.

House: Gryffindor

Wand: N/A

Option: C

Task: Write a 1,000 word fic in less than a day.

Words: 2,042

.,.,.,.,.

"Nonverbal magic—spells used without verbal incantation, known to be less effective concerning advanced magic while eliminating time spent using spoken incantations. Infamous for being notoriously difficult to master, but with time comes skill..." she recited from the words of her own notes, written in rushed and untamed handwriting. She quite clearly remembered taking them during Charms. Her poor penmanship was due to the hairsplitting speed at which Professor Weir conducted her speech on nonverbal spells. While her classmates hardly batted an eyelash, Rose herself barely had time to compose herself before having to dive headfirst into the lesson.

The words came easily, having clearly remembered taking them the previous afternoon. "Noverbal magic— spells used without verbal incantation, known to be more or less effective depending on the user's experience while eliminating time spent using spoking incantations. When used, nonverbal spells will also prevent your enemy from reacting quickly enough to defend themselves."

Usually, they would have time when the professor knocked over a spell subject—like a canary, for instance—and was set on a course to capture the squawking tyrant. By the time she got the lesson under control, Al was taking a snooze while Scorpius constructed war-ready paper planes and Rose had successfully rendered herself relaxed and ready to take notes.

But the professor had no living spell subjects that afternoon—nothing but pens, pillows, and a lot of feathers.

Anyway, nonverbal spells proved to be worthy of their unflattering title. They were infuriatingly difficult. At least, they were for Rose. Where Scorpius was levitating pens right into the back of Ramona Vane's 'perfect' curls, vanishing pillows at the flick of his wrist, and setting flame to featherslips without a single twitch of his lips, Rose couldn't give rise to a feather without spitting out an incantation in her fury.

At the thought of being outshone by Scorpius, of all people, Rose stood from the comfy chair and took her wand from her back pocket. With the crackling of the fire that sounded remarkably like cackling in her ears and the scrawl of her handwriting guiding her, she mentally recited the exercise; breathe in, summon incantation, breathe out, and visualize the desired result.

_Four ridiculously simplified steps to follow Rose, don't strain yourself,_ she advised herself rather sarcastically.

If Rose failed now, than she might have to do the unthinkable. It went against everything she had been told since the day she laid eyes on him, everything she had lived by afterwards, and what she strived to never have to consider doing. She would have to ask her local egoistical, arrogant by definition, destined to make her life that much harder, Scorpius Malfoy.

In that moment, Rose was so self-conscious and aware of her surroundings, she could have detected the slightest dust mote passing by her in the firelight. She fought against her wracking nerves, willing her hands not to tremble as she lifted her wand. All thoughts unrelated to the task at hand vanished within an instant, her only focus being the incantions and the candle she had to cast it on. All she had to do was levitate the candle to eye-level.

_Simple, right? Right, _she thought.

She took in a deep breath, dismissing the blatant fact that it trembled terribly. She waited five agonizingly long seconds before flicking her wand and thinking as forcefully as she could, _Wingardium Leviosa!_

The candle did a little hop off the end table and came straight back down.

With one last great _thump-ump!_ her heart became leaden with the realization that the candle had not risen even two inches off of the end table.

Her fury erupted like a volcano, as though her heart were pumping fire instead of blood.

"Why I ought to—grr!" slashing with her wand and spitting the incantation as though it were a curse, she cut the candle clean in half.

She dropped into the squashy chair and proceeded to knead her fingers in her already tangled red locks.

It wasn't a minute before someone practically burst into the corridor. At first, Rose continued on without acknowledging the person's existence. But then Rose started as a roaring imitation of a Norwegian accent burst through the silence.

"Ah, I belie' you neglecte' to remember," the voice became higher and more bird-like, imitating Professor Weir's screeching tone as she recited text. "_Swish _and**flick**, childre', like the tail of a rather irat' hippogriff."

Without missing a beat, Rose's sides concaved and a strangled laugh escaped from her lips, as though it had flung itself from her lungs. She covered her mouth with her hand almost immediately, eyes wide in embarrassment.

The complacency painted across his features was disgusting, with a smug grin plastered on his lips. None ther than Scorpius Malfoy dropped into the loveseat adjacent to her.

"I'll take _that_, my dear flower, as an accomplishment." he stated briskly, popping a breathmint into his mouth.

"You know, you could be helpful for once instead of... well, unhelpful!" she exclaimed, unable to express her frustration more articulately than that.

"Please, Rosie. I'm not the problem here, you are. You're misdirecting your frustration on the easiest possible target," he explained simply, examining a cookie as though suspicious of its origins.

Her hands itched to tug on her bangs, but she knew that was what he wanted. She settled on placing them on her hips.

"Excuse me?" she almost breathed fire, her fury boiling underneath even her tone.

Scorpius merely stared at her for a moment, as if debating how to approach. He finally sighed, returning the cookie back down onto the tray. "First of all, you forgot to swish before you flicked, and its obvious you weren't concentrating enough or you would have remembered."

"About as obvious it is that you're a self-centered pig?" she spat.

"Precisely," he said simply, making a motion in the air as though he were dotting an 'i'.

"Why I ought to—" she began, her hands clenched into fists.

"Take the bias out of your ears and actually listen to me?"

"Why, you—

"Listen, why don't you just listen to what I have to say? You might actually learn how to cast nonverbal spells before you're old and crippled," he snapped.

Her nose crinkled in her frustration as she drew her eyebrows together and crossed her arms across her chest.

She finally gave, tugging on her bangs in defeat. "Fine, but make it snappy, pretty boy," she grumbled.

"I'll make sure to be extra fast, petal," he winked.

Rose simply rolled her eyes in response.

Without missing a beat, Scorpius leapt from the cushy loveseat, decorated with lions surrounded by intricate swirls that seemed to be vines. Rose wondered, briefly, if it was supposed to mean anything. The thought quickly dissipated as Scorpius took his wand from his inner coat pocket, smiling coyly. The sight of it gave her shivers, goosepimples rising almost immediately.

"Now, lift your wand—" he demonstrated, raising his wand with a small flourish. "like this."

She did, raising her wand up to eye level, minus the unnecessary special effects.

Frowning slightly, he muttered, "No, no—lower, nearer to your heart."

For reasons Rose refused to consider, the thought made her uncomfortable. "Erm...like, uh, this?"

"More like this," he maneuvered around her, standing beside her wand arm and adjusting her posture.

He positioned her aim level just above her heart. Scoprpius was so close she could smell the mint in his breath that washed over her. Waves of tingly shivers shot from her head to her toes. She was so close, she could stand up on her tiptoes and tickle him right behind his ear. The thought almost made her giggle, but she contained herself as he spoke right next to her ear.

"You want it just above your heart, not at eye level, because it is easier to focus on your target. And, well..." he trailed off, his lips remaining parted slightly.

The red mane of curls resting on her shoulders quivered slightly. Doing her best to refrain from cocking her head to the side in her confusion, she asked, "What?"

"My dad says that if you position it in accordance with your heart—" he bit his lip, his gaze lowering. "that it will be more powerful because love is the strongest magic of all."

The breath heading out caught in her throat on the way to her lungs. All thought ceased completely, body triumphing over mind as she was held in her shock. As her body strained and begged for oxygen, Rose remembered where she was— and that she needed to breathe.

While regaining her senses, Rose caught the look Scorpius gave her as she composed her expression into something resembling normalcy—a mixture of concern, confusion, and something she couldn't quite place even with her extensive vocabulary.

She coughed slightly as if to confirm her insanity before saying, "And what do _you_ think?"

He hesitated as though conflicted whether to question her on what just happened or answer the question. He scratcheed his head before answering with, "I agree with him, for the most part."

"Well, what's the some part?" she asked.

He chuckles uneasily, as if still unsettled about the event. "I think there is something even more powerful."

"And what's that?" she questions with an impaitent ring to her tone.

"Hope," he answers simply.

This time, she's ready. Her reply is quick and unhesitant. "I think you're right."

"Good to know, flower." He cleared his throat. "All right, now—try it again."

She performed the spell several times, turning red all over in the effort not to scream the incantation at the blasted candle.

"Rose, listen to me."

Her eyes didn't waver from the unmoving, unlit candle.

"Quit channeling your frustration toward casting the spell. It obviously isn't working and doesn't seem too good for your health. Instead, try channeling neutral thoughts," he advised seriously.

With a curt nod, she returned her focus to the flickering flame.

Before even moving her wand again, she repeated the incantation inside her head.

"That's it. Concentrate," he murmured.

"That's a bit difficult with you breathing down my neck."

He nodded and took a step back.

A few beats passed. The flame flickered and danced, throwing the light in different directions and casting eerie shadows against the walls. Rose took several deep breaths, steeled herself, and raised her wand to point at the candle. Slowly, she counted by the rhythm of her racing heart before raising her wand and performing the correct movements.

All the while the incantation was practically burned into her vision, with her imaging the letters that swooped and curled in her own handwriting.

The candle shot up from the table and immediately flew into the fireplace. The flames roared and enveloped the wax, brass holder, and all.

Rose turned to Scorpius and couldn't help herself from wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Scorpius stumbled for a few seconds before accepting the unexpected affection.

"I did it! I really did it!" she exclaimed.

"You did," he confirmed.

Rose released him at the same time he did, absolutely flustered, with flushed cheeks and heavy breaths. The excitement literally radiated from her, with the wide grin playing at her lips and her rosy cheeks betraying her as well.

"Thanks to you," she breathed.

Scorpius leaned against the couch. The smirk that graced his lips was more proud than it was smug.

"See what happens when you trust me?"

"Yes, now shut up,"

"And kiss me?" he finished cheekily.

Rose smirked playfully. "How about we talk when you help me pass my O.W.L.S?"

Scorpious chuckled. "Funny."

"Now, show me how to light things on fire?"

"So you can really make Ramona shine?"

"You've got it."

"It'd be my pleasure, flower."

Their smirks were identical. They both turned to the fireplace and then back to each other.

"I think we'll need a new candle first."

"Or I can just light you on fire," Rose offered.

Scorpius glanced to her and grinned. "I think we have enough redheads around, don't you?"

"Funny," she deadpanned. "Now help me find another godforsaken candle."


End file.
